"What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?"

Introduction: When parents give birth to a child, they raise the precious child with optimistic expectations. When the growing child falls short of their expectations, they encourage the child. However, if a child is rebellious and disobedient, they punish the child. However, parents give up a child if the child continues to live contrary to their expectations. Later, if a child returns home with repentance, the parents will accept and forgive the child, rather than expecting the child to pay a debt. God treats us like this, too.


1. God´s expectations of humankind.
    1) God guided the Israelites out of Egypt, who had established a covenant with Him
        on Mount Sinai (Ex 19:3-6).
    2) God gave commandments and laws to humankind.
        (1) 10 commandments        (2) About 600 laws
        - In spite of all God´s discipline and expectations, the Israelites did not turn to God,
           and He finally gave them up.

2. God who came again.
    1) Human beings have no power to carry out the commandments and the law
        (Ro 7:14-24).
        (1) A struggle between the inner being and outer being, and the spirit against the
             flesh.
        (2) Our struggle between good and evil.
        (3) The law expects us to do what is good, but our inner being cannot carry it out
             because of our flesh.
    2) A man asked Jesus what good thing he must do to get eternal life (Mt 19:16-22).
        - We cannot pass over the great mountain of the holy law, because we are
           weakened by the sinful nature.
    3) God´s way to help us (Ro 8:3-4).
    4) The spirit within Jesus sets us free (Ro 8:1-2).

3. The way to victory over sin.
    1) There is no alternative except the precious blood of the Cross (Jn 19:30).
        (1) We have no ability to cleanse our sin.
            - Neither tears, nor effort, nor perseverance, nor assets, nor self-sacrifice will
               be able to pay for our sins (Gal 2:16).
    2) The wages of sin is death and hell (Ro 6:23; 5:12; Ps 9:17).
    3) The way to victory.
        (1) Our debt of sin was paid when Jesus died for us.
            - Rely on the precious blood of Jesus (Eph 1:7; 2:4-5).
        (2) We are already clean because of the word (Jn 15:3).
        (3) We are renewed by the Holy Spirit (Tit 3:3-7).


Conclusion : It is sin to disobey God´s commandments and law, and the wages of sin is death and hell. Hell is a terrifying place. Hell is a place of absolute despair. Time is suspended, and we cannot adequately explain the human suffering in such a place. I would rather have not been born than to be in hell, because it is a place of eternal pain and suffering. The only road to life and salvation is through Jesus. We must repent of our sin, be cleansed through the Word, and be renewed through the Holy Spirit.